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Scholars Compile Prophet's 'True' Teachings On Women
Istanbul, 20 June (AKI) - In a bid to stop violence including so-called 'honour' crimes against women, the Turkish government's religious affairs department has commissioned a team of Islamic scholars to compile what they consider are the Prophet Mohammed's true teachings on women and gender equality. The five-volume work is due to be published in 2007.

The government hopes less well educated Turks will refer to its book - entitled Mohammed's Messages to the Contemporary World - instead of fallacious statements attributed to Mohammed published by extremist religious publishers telling Muslims to scorn and humiliate women, said religious affairs department president, Ali Bardakoglu.
This'll spin up a few Saudi turbans
Examples of the statements contained in such tracts and falsely attributed to Mohammed include: "Women with tattoos are cursed," and "If a society is ruled by a female then it is impossible for that society to develop."

The new book will especially aim to target men in the mainly Kurdish populated southeastern part of Turkey where most 'honour' crimes are committed, and hopefully help decrease violence against women, Bardakoglu said. "Mohammed did not make any statement deprecating women or inciting men to use force against women," Bardakoglu stressed. He heads the committee of scholars preparing the new tome.
Fatwa on his head in 5..4..3.
Turkey's religious affairs department was created after the modern Turkish state was founded in 1923. It is mainly responsible for administrating the country's imams and does not operate as a mullah council or religious board as in other Muslim countries.
What a novel idea
Turkey's new penal code, adopted last year, aims to enhance women's rights in line with EU requirements for Turkey's membership of the bloc. It no longer lists the "protection of the honour of a family" as an extenuating circumstance in a crime, and includes harsher penalties for those who commit honour killings.
Honour killings - the murder by relatives of women accused of bringing shame to their families - claimed the lives of 43 women in 2004, according to official figures. They have provoked growing public outrage since a spate of recent television and radio documentaries focused on the issue.
Posted by: Steve 2006-06-20
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=156735